Branch Establishment Services for Vietnamese Companies

As the need to develop new markets keeps growing, establishing a branch is an effective solution that helps businesses expand their scope of operations, reach customers in other localities, and strengthen their business capacity. Unlike a representative office, a branch is permitted to perform all or part of the company's business functions within its registered scope.

What is a company branch?

Under Clause 1, Article 44 of the Law on Enterprises 2020, a branch is a dependent unit of the enterprise, tasked with performing all or part of the enterprise's functions, including authorized representation. The branch's business lines must match those of the enterprise. Clauses 1 and 2, Article 84 of the Civil Code 2015 also provide that a branch is a dependent unit of a legal entity and is not itself a legal entity.

Characteristics of a company branch

• A dependent unit of the enterprise, without separate legal entity status.
• Permitted to conduct business activities.
• May be located in the same province as, or a different province from, the head office.
• May have its own seal (if the enterprise decides to use one).
• May opt for dependent or independent accounting under tax and accounting regulations.

Branch establishment fees

Under Circular 47/2019/TT-BTC, the state fee is VND 50,000 per filing for dossiers submitted in person or by post. Dossiers registered online via the National Business Registration Portal are exempt from the registration fee, which saves costs and encourages electronic filing.